How to Keep Your Family Safe on the Internet

Essential internet safety tips and strategies to protect your children and family from online risks.

1. Set Up Strong Passwords and Privacy Settings. Create unique, strong passwords for all family accounts using a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols. Consider using a password manager to keep track of them safely. Review privacy settings on all social media accounts, gaming platforms, and apps your children use. Set profiles to private, limit who can contact your kids, and turn off location sharing. Make sure your children understand never to share passwords with friends or post them anywhere online.
2. Teach the Golden Rule of Personal Information. Help your children understand that personal information includes their full name, address, phone number, school name, age, birthday, and photos that show identifying details. Explain that this information should never be shared with strangers online, even if someone seems friendly. Create a family rule that kids must ask permission before sharing any personal details, creating new accounts, or posting photos. Practice scenarios where someone online asks for personal information so your children know how to respond.
3. Recognize and Handle Online Strangers. Teach your children that people online may not be who they claim to be. Anyone they haven't met in person counts as a stranger, even if they've been talking online for a long time. Set clear rules about never meeting online friends in person without parental permission and supervision. If someone asks to video chat, meet up, or keep conversations secret from parents, that's a major red flag. Create an environment where your children feel safe telling you about uncomfortable online interactions without fear of losing internet privileges.
4. Navigate Social Media Safely. Wait until your child is emotionally ready for social media, regardless of minimum age requirements. When they do join platforms, go through privacy settings together and explain why each setting matters. Discuss digital footprints and how posts, comments, and photos can last forever. Set guidelines about what's appropriate to share and what should stay private. Consider following or friending your children on social platforms, and establish regular check-ins about their online interactions.
5. Handle Cyberbullying and Mean Behavior. Teach your children to never respond to mean comments or messages, but instead to save evidence by taking screenshots. Show them how to block and report users who are bothering them. Make sure they know that cyberbullying is not their fault and they should always tell a trusted adult. Discuss how to be kind online themselves and think before posting anything that might hurt someone's feelings. If cyberbullying becomes serious or persistent, don't hesitate to contact your child's school or local authorities.
6. Create a Family Media Plan. Establish clear rules about when, where, and how long family members can use devices and internet. Consider using parental controls and content filters, but remember these are tools to support your guidance, not replace conversations. Set up device-free zones and times, like during family meals or before bedtime. Create consequences for breaking internet safety rules that focus on education rather than just punishment. Regularly review and update your family's internet rules as your children grow and technology changes.